Freight-car.



Patented Dee. 2, 1902.

H. A. runnen. FREIGHT GAR.

(Appication tiled Feb. 7, 1902.\

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Modei.)

"ll/III @NNN @QM/m Patented Dec. 2, |902.

H. A. TURNER.

FREIGHT CAR.

(Application led Fab. 7, 1902.)

I 3 Sheeis--Sheet 3` (H0 Model.)

' such asstock-cars.

UNITE@ STATES y PAT-ENT @Pincel I HOW/"ARD A. TURNIER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

FREIGHT-CAR.

SPEGIFGAEION forming part of Letters Patent No. '71 5,181, dated December 2, 1902.

Application liled February 7, 1902. Serial No. 92,992. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t niv/ty concer-7e:y

Be it known that I, HOWARD A. TURNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Freight-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to freight-cars ot the class which are convertible from single to multiple deckers, and conversely, in order to better adapt the same for use in the shipment of different classes of freight.

Inthe drawings the invention is illustrated as applied to refrigerator-cars; but it Will be understood that several features of the invention are equally applicable to other classes of cars where convertible decks are desirable,

In some features my present invention is in the nature of an improvement over my own prior patent, No. 670,400, ot'date March 19, 1901.

The generalobject had in view is to increase the capacity, add strength and security, and facilitate the handling of the freight.

To these ends my invention consists of the novel devices and novel combinations of devices hereinafter described, and delined in the clai ms. f

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like notations refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In said drawings, Figure 1A is a longitudinal vertical central section through part of ai car embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View ot' one of the deck-sections shown in Fig. 1, but detached from the car. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on the line Q33 r3 of Fig. l, with some parts broken away. Fig. 4 is a detail in cross-section on the linem44of Fig. l. Figs. 5 and 6 are .details in 'plan and edge View of one of the cross retaining-'bars detached and turned down iiatwise with the truss uppermost in Fig. 5 and turnedup edge-A wise in Figc 6. Fig.. 7 is a detail in inside elevation looking at'the' retaininglguides for' the cross-bars shown in Figs. 5 and G. Fig. 8 is a detail looking at one of the guides for the cross-bars shown in Fig. 7 from the side in respect to said Vviewer looking lengthwise of the car. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 1,

the deck-sections, the deck shown in Fig. 9`

being of proper forni to afford a beef-rack.

Fig'. 10 is a detail in cross-section on the line x10 m10 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a detail in plan View showing a part of one of the deck-sections of Fig. 9 detached, and Fig. 12 is asection on the line m12 0512 of Fig. 11.

The car-body 1 is provided with the customary door-openings 2 in its side Walls, and, being a refrigerator-car,` is also provided with the eustornaryjce-boxes 3 at its opposite ends.

AThis car is equipped With suitable shiftable' deck-sections 4, having downwardly-extended Iianges at their ends. As shown in Figs. 1 to 4,V inclusive, the deckse'ctions 4 are supposed t-o be made of Wood and the downanges at the ends of the sectionsare afforded by the' wooden end pieces 4n of the section, which are of the proper dimensions to extend below the body or batteri portion of the decksection, as best shown in Fig. 4. To the side Walls of the car are fixed sets of supporting rails 5 for upholding the decksections 4 when in' Working position and permitting thesame to be moved lengthwise thereof when shifting from working to idle positions, as will later more clearly appear. These supporting- I a manner as to prevent any'inaterial spread" ing ot' the same. The fit between the interlocking parts ot the deck-sectionsand their su pporting-rails is sufficiently loose to permit the ready 'manipulation'or.sliding motion of "the" deeksections 4fon their supporting-rails 5, as is desirable under normal conditions; but if some great overload should be placed on the car or some accident occur thereto,

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tending to bulge outward the sides of the car, the deck-sections will then come intovplay and serve as cross-ties, interlocking or connecting together the sides of the car, thereby greatly strengthening the car-body and limiting the spreading action of the side walls in respect to each other.

Directly above the supporting-rails 5 are located guard-rails 6, shown as formed Ofangle-bars, which guard-rails 6 are properly located to permit freedom for the shifting movements of the deck-sections, while preventing the vertical displacement thereof from their working positions.

To the sides of the car, near the roof of the same, are fixed sets of rails 7 for supporting the ,deck-sections 4 in their idle positions as near as possible to the roof of the car and which for convenience of distinction may be called the idle-position rails. The contrast is with the other rails 5, which support the deck-,sections in working position and which, therefore, for convenience of distinction may be called the Working-position rails.

To the sides of the car directly adjacent to the door-openings 2are `fixed angle-iron strips 8, which form the limiting-stops to the forward movement of the deck-sections 4 ou the working-position rails 5. Guideways are provided which permit the deck-sections 4 to be shifted from their working to their idle positions, and these guideways are ofl such construction as to permit the deck-sections to be passed therefrom to either or to both sets of the working rails 5, as may be desirable. Gates are provided in the idle-position rails 7 for passing the deck-sections to and from their idle positions and locking the same therein., As shown, these gates are formed by hinged sections 7a in the rails 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, which hinged sections swing ina horizontal plane and maybe locked in their closed positions by chain-secured pins 9 or other suitable means.

The guideways which permit the deck-sectionsto be shifted from working to idle positions are, as shown, formed by the parts markedlO 1l 12 13 and portions of the vertical angle-iron strip 8. All of said parts are of angle-iron. The guide members l0 are of curvilinear form and extend from the lowermost pair of guard-rails 6 to a junction with the upper pair of working-position rails 5. The guide 11 extends from a pointvonthe vertical strip 8 in line with the guard-rails G inward and upward on an angle and then rises vertically to the level of the faces of the upper pair of working-position rails 5 and turns outward to a junction with the vertical angleiron strip 8,;thus affording a shoulder at the upper ends of the guides 1l for receiving the forward sides of the deck-sectionsbefore entering the decks into the gap between the guide members 12 and 13. `The Iposition of the members 13is partly incidental to another purpose, which will later appear; but thepositions.

members 12 are properly located and prope'rlyl spaced apart in respect to themembers 13 to permit the deck-sections 4 to pass upward on the members 12 and be guided thereby to the gaps afforded in the idle-position rails when the gate-sections are in their open All these guides, 10 to 13, inclusive, are of such construction and such location in respect-to each other and in respect to the rails 5, 6, and 7 and the vertical Strip A8 that the said deck-sections may be freely shifted as required to move the same from 'their Working into their idle positions, but

that the Vdecksections cannot be removed from the car without doing violence thereto. Otherwise stated, the deck sections are interlocked with their guides and supporting-rails in all positions which the. deck-sections can assume,and hence said deck-sections cannot be removed from the carvwithout first removing some of the parts which confine or lock the same to the car'while beingfshifted from one position to another.

As compared with my own priorpatent the prevent or limit the spread ofthe side walls of the car, and the presence of the two sets of supporting-rails, affording a triple decker instead of a two decker, as in my prior patent,

Awith the gap or passage in the shifting guideways, which permits thedecksections to be distributed onto either or to both sets 0f working-,position rails 5, as may be desired.

With the angle-iron vertical strips 8 coperate additional angle-iron strips 14, secured to the sides of the car iiush with the dooropenings 2 and properly spaced apart from the members 8 to coperate therewith and afford retaining-guides, between which are mounted the heads of the retaining cross-bars 15. These bars are shown detached in Figs.

5 and 6 and in working or idle positions in Figs. l and 3. The sets of angle-iron` members 13 are so disposed relative to each other and the vertical strips 8 as to coperate with the members 8 and the members 14 to afford idle-position supports for the cross-bars 15, so as to hold the latter as near as possible to the roof of the car and out of the road when loading the car, as shown in Fig. 1. After the car has been loaded the cross-bars lare dropped down into their vertical guideways afforded by the members 8 and 14 into the Said cross-bars 15 tion by chains 16 or other suitable devices. As shown, the chains 16 are madefast at one end and at the other end are provided with a headed hook 16, which is adapted toengage with the keyhole-,slot 17 in the guideplate 8 and become locked thereto in a man-l ner which is obvious from an inspection of Figs. 7 and 8. Both of the guide-bars 8 and `feature ot' novelty in respect to the shiftable v .deck-sections and their confining guiding parts is the addition of the flangedinterlock vbetween the deck-sections and their support- `ing-rails 5, whereby the' deck-sections will IOO IIO

'14 might be provided with such keyhole-slots 17 and chains 16 he -provided with :headed hook 16 at both ends and the same purpose be subserved. It is equally obviousthat the chains 16 might be made fast to the cross-bars 15 and be used substantially in the same Way. One is shown so secured in Fig. 5. Oneor both of the guide-plates 8 and let being provided with a number of keyhole-slots 17 itis obvious that the cross-bars' 15 maybe supported in their guides at any desired Vertical adjustment or height relative to the working decks.

ln the drawings I have shown additional sets of guides marked 18, 19, and 2O for supporting such cross-bars 15 at an intermediate point about half-way between the door-openings 2 and the ice-boxes 3 of the car. guides 18 and the lower ends of the guides`19 and20 are in vertical alinement with each other and extend, respectively, to the supporting-rails 5 and the guard-rails 6 of the uppermost memberof the working decks, thereby permitting the cross-bars 15 to 'be shifted into the recess or angle afforded by the members 2O Vfor holding the cross-bars in their uppermost or idle positions as near as possible to the roof of the car.` The crossbars 15 may be supported in their guides 18 and 19 in-any desired positions, just as before described in respect to 4theguides S and 14.

In the modification shown in Fig. 9 provision is made only for a single shiftable deck,-

or, in other words, the car shown is only a double decker; but provision is made for holding the shiftable deck-sections in either of two Working positions, one position beingat the proper distance below the roof-level for suspending dressed beeves and the other working position being about midway of the vertical height of the car for permitting freight to rest on the faces of the shiftable.

decks. The deck-section 21 in this modication, Figs. 9 to 10inclusive, are of metal and of suitable form to constitute a beef-rack. Otherwise stated, these deck-sections 21 are composed of channel-bars a e', constituting, respectively, theI sides and ends of the secv tions, and of angle-bars a2, connecting the side bars a with corner angle-irons e3, applied at the joints between the said parts aand e2. Thus constructed the sections 21 are of open skeleton form of the proper shape and the proper strength to permit the dressed beef `to be suspended therefrom by the application of suitable hooks thereto when the sections 21are on their uppermost set of working-position rails 5, while at the same timesaid sections 21 will support anyydesired kind of freight likely to be shipped in refrigeratorcars on the faces of the sections 21 when the same are in working position on the loWer-.

most set of said rails 5. When in use as a beef-rack, the hocks of the beeves project The which the deck-sections 21 may be shifted when notl in use, so as to krender available several additional inches of clearance for load belowthe said deck-sections when in said idle position. It maybe noted that the idleposition rails 7 may serve as the guard-rails for the upper set of working-position rails 5. ln order to utilize the entire car when loaded with beeves or other freight suspended from above, I mount a pair of deckfsecticns 21 onto supporting-rails 5, located directlyabove the door-openings 2, and these two deck-sections have only a vertical shift from working to idle position, or conversely, and when in idle position they are held up by hooks 22, which engage under parts of the sections. The working-positionrails `5 stop at the doorposts 23, and the said posts are of proper form to serve as stops to prevent the decksections from being moved off from the ends of said rails at the door openings. The guides 11a in Fig. 9 correspond to the guides 11 in Fig. 1; but, as shown inv Fig. 9, the guides 11a are formed integral with the doorpost 23. The end channel-bars e', forming parts of the deck-sections 21, (shown in Fig. 9,) extend downward below the other portions of the deck-sections, as best shown in Figs. 10 and 12, and the downwardlyextended IOO parts of said end channel-barca afford .the Y interlocking flanges on the decks for coperation with the upturned interlocking flanges of the Z-bar-supporting rails 5. Hence the deck-sections 21 interlock with their supporting-rails 5 in the same' Way as the deck-sections 4. (Shown in the other views.) As shown, the deck-sections have down-danges, which engagewith 11p-flanges on the supporting-rails 5 to afford the interlock; but it must be obvious that the interlock might be between the deck-sections and the guard-rails 6, or any other suitable locking-rail might be provided for that purpose.

It is obvious that the ice boxes or cages 3 are only needed in refrigerator-cars and that when dispensed With the supporting-rails 5 for the deck-sections would extend from the door-posts to the ends of the car and thenceessary increased number of deck.- sections would be provided. derstood that ifthe shiftable deck-sections are to be applied to stock-cars such sections should have substantially continuous faces and should make close joints with each other when in working position. In refrigeratorcars open joints or skeleton-work deck-sec-V tions are desirable for securing a good circulation ofA the air and for the better handling ofthe beef or other freight; but in stockcars the deck-sections must be sufficiently close on their faces to prevent the feet of the IIO irq

animals from passing therethrough. It will be further understood that some of the details of construction might be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In acar, the combination withindependent shiftable deck-sections, of idle-position which deck-sections and some of said rails are provided with positively-interlocking parts whereby the deck-sections, when in working position,will prevent or limit the spreading of the sides of the car, substantially as described.

3. In a car, the combination with independent shiftable deck-sections having fianges on their ends, of locking-rails secured lo the sides of the car and provided with flanges which positively interlock with the deckflanges, when the decks are in Working position, whereby the decks will prevent or limit the spreading of the sides of the car, substantially as described.

4. In a ca'r, the combination with shiftable deck-sections having downturned flanges on their ends, of Working-position supportingrails fixed to the sides of the car and having upturned flanges which cooperate with said end flanges on the sections to aord a positive interlock between the said parts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a car, the combination with the shiftable deck-sections having the downturned fianges on their ends, of the supporting-rails fixed to the sides of the car and having the upturned fianges which interlock with said deck-flanges, and the guard-rails. fixed to the sides of the car and overreaching the faces of the deck-sections, when in Working position, substantially as described.

6. In a car, the combination with independently-shiftable deck-sections, of several sets of supporting-rails fixed to the sides of the -car and vertically spaced apart from each other, for supporting said deck-sections in working positions, upper or idle position rails fixed to the sides of the car, near the roof of the same, and guideways through which the said deck-sections may be shifted from working to idle positions, or conversely, and which gnideways are so constructed and disposed that the deck-sections can pass therethrough but cannot be removed from the car, substantially as described.

7. In a car, the combination with shiftable deck-sections, of several sets of supportingrails fixed to the side Walls of the car for upholding said deck-sections in proper working positions, idle-position rails fixed to the sides of the car, near the roof of the same, guideways through which the deck-sections may be shifted from idle position onto any desired set of said Working-position rails, without permitting the decks to be removed therefrom, and gates in the idle-position rails for permitting the deck-sections to pass to and fro therefrom and to be locked thereon, in idle position, substantially as described.

S. In a car, the combination With retaining cross-bars for holding articles in their loaded positions of guides for said cross-bars which guides permit the bars to be shifted fromA working to idle positions Without permitting the bars to be removed from the car, substantially as described.

9. In a car, the combination with retaining cross-bars and vertical guides for the same, of chains secnrable to said guides and adapted to hold the cross-bars at any desired vertical adj ustment,in Working position,substantially as described.

lO. `A car having independent shiftable deck-sections composed of skeleton metallic frames made up of channel and angle bars suitably connected and spaced apart from each other, and which frames, when in Working position, cooperate to form a beef-rack from which dressed beeves may be suspended,

and which deck-sections form a part of the car and cannot be removed therefrom, substantiallyvas described.

ll. Inacar,theindependentshiftabledecksections composed of the skeleton metallic frames having the channel-bar sides d, the channel-bar ends ct', the angle-bar cross-ties a2 and the corner-irons a3 applied to the joints between the said parts d and 0.2,With the crossties spaced apart from each other, and which frames so formed coperate to form a beefrack from which dressed beeves may be suspended, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HOVARD vA. TURNER.

Witnesses:

JAS. F. WILLIAMSON, F. D. MERCHANT.

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